ABBVIE

Upadacitinib, a JAK inhibitor, showed efficacy in treating giant cell arteritis (GCA), enabling steroid withdrawal in a phase III trial. 46.4% of patients achieved clinical remission without rescue steroids, compared to 29.0% in the placebo group. Upadacitinib demonstrated a favorable benefit-risk profile and could become an oral alternative to tocilizumab if approved.

VQ-101, an orally administered brain-penetrant allosteric activator of glucocerebrosidase (GCase), demonstrated robust activation in health volunteers, exceeding the 50% target engagement goal. The therapy showed sustained activation after multiple doses and significant cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) penetration, with no serious adverse events reported. Vanqua Bio plans to proceed with phase 1b trials in Parkinson disease patients, anticipating data in 2025.

Halozyme proposes €2 billion acquisition of Evotec, offering €11.00 per share in cash, a 109% premium to Evotec's Oct. 15 stock price. Evotec, with 4,000 employees, faces recent setbacks including a cyberattack and restructuring. Halozyme, with 373 employees, offers Enhanze drug delivery tech used by Roche, Takeda, Eli Lilly, Pfizer, and AbbVie.

Global Organoids Market to grow at a CAGR of ~14% by 2030, driven by personalized medicine, organoid use in drug discovery, and cancer research. North America leads the market, with key players including Thermofisher Scientific Inc., StemCell Technologies Inc., and others. Organoids mimic human organs, aiding in disease modeling and drug testing, but face challenges like high costs and limited vascularization.

DelveInsight's 'Multiple Sclerosis Pipeline Insight 2024' report highlights 75+ companies developing 80+ therapies, including promising candidates like GA Depot, Remibrutinib, and IMU 838. Key events include Immunic's positive Phase 3 ENSURE trial interim analysis, Roche's FDA approval for Ocrevus injectable, and Sanofi's mixed results for tolebrutinib in Phase III trials. The report covers global pipeline stages, product types, molecule types, mechanisms of action, and routes of administration.

Abivax appoints Mark Stenhouse, former COO of Prometheus Biosciences, as Board Observer and Advisor. Stenhouse brings over 30 years of biopharma experience, including roles at AbbVie and Exact Sciences. His expertise in gastroenterology and immunology is expected to support Abivax's progress toward commercializing obefazimod, its lead drug candidate for ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease.

Syndax Pharmaceuticals' Phase II trial of revumenib met primary endpoint in relapsed or refractory AML, but stock dropped 25.6%. The AUGMENT-101 trial showed 23% CR/CRh, 4.7 months median duration, and 64% MRD-negative patients. Safety issues included QTc prolongation and differentiation syndrome. Revumenib targets menin-MLL interaction, competing with Kura Oncology's ziftomenib. Revumenib projected to generate $634m by 2030.

A Northwestern Medicine-led analysis of three international trials found that a JAK-selective inhibitor maintained high levels of improvement in symptoms and quality of life for adolescents with moderate to severe atopic dermatitis over 76 weeks, with strong evidence of safety.

Non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis market driven by rising prevalence, early diagnosis, and drug development. Over 15 companies, including Zambon SpA, Insmed, and AstraZeneca, are developing 15+ pipeline therapies. Key drugs in trials include Colistimethate sodium, Benralizumab, and Brensocatib.